Was Jesus Gay?

St
Matthew-in-the-City has raised their new billboard outside
the church. “This year we invited discussion and debate on
the sexual orientation of Jesus” say St Matthew’s clergy
Rev Glynn Cardy and Rev Clay Nelson.

The billboard
depicts the Baby Jesus in his crib with a halo of rainbow
colours. For Clay Nelson it presents the challenge to think
about Jesus as fully human whose growing up would have
involved the same range of character possibilities, and even
sexuality, as the rest of us. “Some scholars have tried to
make the case that he might have been gay” says Nelson.
“But it is all conjecture. Maybe gay, maybe not. Does it
matter?”

Cardy asks what Jesus would have said
about New Zealand’s current debate on gay marriage.
“There is almost nothing in the record of his teachings
about sexuality while there is plenty about the perils of
being rich. Certainly he always supported the marginalised
in society”.

St Matthew’s billboard has
something of an international reputation. Last year its
exposure on Facebook had a reach of over 21 million, brought
30,000 visits to St Matthew’s website in a week and was
featured internationally in blogs, internet news sites
including the Huffington Post, newspapers, TV news and talk
shows, as well as talk back radio.

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